Best liner/ bedding for drop tray

[Chicken Mad]

Hi,

 

I had my three girls for about 6 weeks now. They arrived together with their from Omlet. The man who brought them was very unfriendly and rude, actually I want to say quite nasty. I therefore did not ask many questions. He did appauling job with wing clipping as well. Had to do it myself again when he left! Just as well I had some previous experience (though from childhood).

 

I got the Organic Omlet Chicken Feed when they arrived. At first they loved it and ate very well. Later as a treat in the afternoon I would make small amount of porridge from the feed and they gone nuts for it. But after couple of weeks they gone off the dry feed completelly. I started feeding them porridge every morning (still from the same feed so same nutrience). The feed is now nearly at the end so I got them some pellets from local shop. I thought I should try them with the dry stuff again so when we not around and someone else has to chickensit for us, it would be easier for them. But the girls not having it. I mixed some of the previous feed with the new pellets and tiny bit of mixed corn with it. I gave them that this morning and they seemed to eat it. But when I cheched they pecked every grain of corn our and scatered the pellets and feed about the garden. I've tried mashing some potatos with the pellets, but they managed to (no idea how) to pick the potatos and leave the pellets. As if they licked them

 

My Gran only ever fed her poultry grains, mainly rye and wheat plus they free range. They always layed well, never a soft shell in sight. Would it be too bad if they eat mainly mixed corn with occational/fairly often treats of extra nurtience.

 

They seem happy chicks otherwise, running about free ranging, laying 2-3 eggs a day, like human company (helping with gardening mainly!)and don't mind being picked up.

 

Kind Regards,

Wren

[Redwing]

Tough love is called for I'm afraid, leave the pellets and dont give them treats they will start to eat they will not starve themselves, if you knew you could forgo your salad in favour of a cream cake I am sure you would!

 

A diet of pure corn is not good for them but some do feed a diet of mixed grains which is ok, there are a few threads on here called something like 'mixing your own feed' which give details on composition and supplements required - try a search. mixing up feed is more for the individuals belief about how they want to feed their birds though and less about what the birds actually prefer (although some find that the birds love the new diet it wasnt the reason for embarking on that if you see what I mean)

 

You could continue to mix the pellets with water but wet feed sours quickly and its also more time consuming with regards to mixing, replenishing feed more regularly and cleaning bowls etc... so its not a road I would go down

 

little madams, rein them in

[Chicken Mad]

Thanks Tasha,

 

I will need to be strong and persevere with the pellets.

 

They are turning into real little madams that is true. I'm sure its my fault entirely! Will need to get tough on them and only treat them occationally.

 

Cheers,

Wren

[Redwing]

They do start to get the upper hand remarkably quickly, people say they arent clever but I think we know differently!

[Chicken Mad]

Oh they are good at manipulating you to do what they want you to do! Lokk at you so inocent and cute but we know it's very well calculated

 

Little rascals! But I love them all the same. Though have to be cruel to be kind from now on, pellets it is and that's final Ladies!

 

I'm very new to this forum thingy so trying to edit my signiture and stuff, may take some time though Can't get the smilies into it. Hey it's my day off so I've time to play,

 

Cheers,

Wren

[Redwing]

its a faff, this is how I do it

 

Click reply on any topic

type what you want your signature to be inc smilies/Eglu icons

highlight and 'copy'

cancel you reply (or everyone will think youre barmy)

then go to the user control panel, profile, edit signature

'paste' your stuff in and click submit

 

easier than faffing with text code for smilies

[Chicken Mad]

Great idea! Will do now!

 

I think I've clicked everything I could on the edit signiture bit and had no luck. Will see now.

 

Thank you,

Wren

 

Wren and Ladies:

Mabel (arrived 08/01/10)

Gladys (arrived 08/01/10)

Florance (arrived 08/01/10)

[docsquid]

You can get them back to more "normal" feeding. I spoiled ours during the bad snow around Christmas, and they got to wanting two lots of special mash a day. They get some mash in the mornings, but it is mainly pellets with bokashi bran, a few raisins and mealworms, and occasionally a grape each. I find this is a good and sure way of getting them to eat any medication I want to give them, as they devour the whole lot, and therefore I know they've had their wormer or whatever. I've just found out by trial and error what is the right amount so they eat it all!

 

They also get pellets in the Grub and they do eat these when the mash runs out. They had stopped eating them as they were waiting for their evening mash, but when I stopped it they started eating the pellets again. They also FR quite a lot.

 

They don't get bedtime mash any more, but they do get some mealworms and grapes as treats, but they can live without these!

[jadelee2]

My girls are always more interested in the bag of kitchen s"Ooops, word censored!"s I have for them, they go mad for them! I also give them a mixture of layers pellets, a few sunflower seeds, (which seems to keep their feathers healthy), split maize and a little corn on the afternoon feed, as this takes longer to digest, and so they go to bed with a full crop, and keep warmer. But I do try to make sure they clear everything up, before feeding more. I try to keep the kitchen s"Ooops, word censored!"s to about 20% of their diet.

[poachedegg]

I have learned to give different things on different days at different times.....they don't 'expect' things that way.

[sadietoo]

I introduced layers mash (dry not made into porridge) instead of pellets when i was trying to get Pansy and Kipper to love each other in the early days...the idea behind this was that they would spend more time eating and less time beating each other up, and I have to say it was successful...a bit too successful in fact because now we turn our noses up at pellets and will only have mash....of course the mash they like comes from the shop several miles away from where we live..and is only sold in small bags...so I buy several 2.5kg bags at a time. Mash is messier than pellets but not too bad in the grub, and they do love it so. I'm happy to continue spoiling them...it could be worse they could be like our cat who turns his nose up at everything. If you really can't get your girls to learn to love pellets maybe try mash as an alternative??

[sandyhas3chucks]

i find the mash is less messy in a GLUG !!!

[Chicken Mad]

Thank you all so much for your input. I feel much happier about "being tight" to them and get them back on their dry feed an pellets. They started eating it again. Florance even layed absolutly huge egg. I have no idea how she managed it! It's 92g. Any duck could be proud of it. She's only tiny Miss Pepperpot, smallest of my three girls. More of a pigeon then a hen.

 

Kind Regards,

[Guest]

I had my three girls for about 6 weeks now. They arrived together with their from Omlet. The man who brought them was very unfriendly and rude, actually I want to say quite nasty. I therefore did not ask many questions. He did appalling job with wing clipping as well. Had to do it myself again when he left! Just as well I had some previous experience (though from childhood).

 

Hi Chicken Mad...

 

Thank you for your post... I was very shocked and concerned to read the above regarding the experience you received when your eglu was delivered... I wonder if you could drop me a PM or email me at quin@omlet.co.uk so we can address this matter so it does not occur again in the future....

 

One of the main attractions to having the eglu delivered by an Omlet driver is because they should take the time to answer your questions and show you how your product works and how to handle the chickens.... it should never under any circumstances be a "drop and go" service and even if it was, it should be done with the courtesy our customers deserve...

 

On another note, the advice you have received from everyone else about the feed is great... tough love is definitely the answer... but as always, like any pet they wrap us round their fingers (toes in this case) and we spoil them rotten (I should know mine are terribly spoilt too )

 

 

I look forward to speaking to you soon...

[The Dogmother]

I totally agree with Quin - my OH did relief driving for Omlet when he was short of work; great for him and them as he loves chooks. He always enjoyed meeting all the excited new owners, and although they are running to a very tight deadline when they deliver, they always made sure to take the time to chat and answer questions.